Posted: 2/20/2011 6:38:41 PM EDT
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My work has me a minimum of an hour from the barn. Sometimes up to three or four hours. Really anywhere from 40-200 miles away. The wife unit and three small kids have instructions if there is a problem. My issue will be getting back to them as fast as possible. From there we have plans for different situations. Problems lies in not being able to use a vehicle for part or all of the hall home. Thinking of an earthquake (has happened here and likely) and with that comes downed bridges, overpasses, buildings, and debris in the roadways making road travel a no go.
I have a new slightly larger bag that I'm setting up as my EDC/ active shooter/ bug in/ oh shit kit. Old one was a Versapack. New bag is a 5.11 Rush 12. Small backpack for most but I think it will work fine for me. With my newfound extra space, I'm upgrading/ upsizing my bag. My First Aid, food and water, and basic EDC items are covered already. But most of my bag is geared toward urban survival. What I'm looking to build up is my traveling bug in gear. With hoofing it home, maybe staying out overnight (or two), and river or ditch crossing is likely. Mostly flat farm land here and weather is nice. 30-70 degree winters and 60-110 degree summers. Items that I have gathered together so far for it so far are- space blanket and bag, para cord, compass, 2 fire steels and bics, hiking boots, ESEE-3 Mill, camo rain jacket and pants, trash bags, small tarp, whistle, sun screen, and a bit of other gear that is already ordered and coming. Just looking for any other inspiration for getting home a little quicker in one piece. Thanks for any ideas. 
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Get a folding backpacking saw. You may need to cut down a small tree to get yourself across one of these flooded ditches.
Is there any way you can break down a bicycle and keep it in your truck? If you do, pack some spare tire tubes and get some of the compressed air cartridges from a bike shop so you can air up the tires. |
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I think anyone planning on using what he can carry in such a small pack to walk 200 miles to get home is likely doomed to fail. You are talking about a trek of at least a week, maybe 10 days, unless this kind of hike is something you do on a regular basis. Walking 200 miles without some appropriate footwear just ain't gonna happen.
The bicycle idea suggested by another poster might work but 200 miles on a bike is not a trivial exercise either. Most people are not up to it unless they are making those kind of rides on a regular basis. Even then, you see people who have some pretty specialized gear. Not the kind of thing you want to bet your life on if you have not been using it on a regular basis. Another problem with depending on a bike is that it is close to useless in a lot of weather conditions that you might well encounter. People who bike on a regular basis will no doubt chime in and claim they can make this work, and maybe they can. But they have skills, experience, and gear you probably don't even know exists. Having said that, I think you have a better shot at getting home faster on a bike (given decent weather) than on foot. I do not think there is a good answer to this particular problem. As for having a small saw to cut down trees that might be in your way, I am of the opinion that anything such a saw might be useful for cutting can probably be gotten past on foot without having to cut anything at all. It may well turn out to be quite useful for gathering firewood though. A bigger saw might well be useful for getting past downed trees on the road way while you are still in your vehicle. A come-along or winch might be even more helpful. I would point out though that in many areas of the country one could walk for many miles along the roads and not see all that many trees along side the roads, certainly very few that are suitable as firewood. The typical space blankets are single use items for the most part. You are talking about something that is a potentially long trek. I think you need something sturdier, or multiple units. In any case, I urge you to try a Space blanket and see how useful it really is. It is not really a blanket. It serves no purpose in insulating you. It is mostly useful as a way of protecting you from wind and rain. Think of it as a very lightweight tarp that rips easily. |
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Aren't hiking boots a big large / heavy to be carried in your bag? They replace the steel toe work boots that don't hike well and go on my feet.  Don't put your hiking boots in your back pack. You are using up space you need for survival gear for something that will end up on your feet. Put them in a separate plastic bag since they will go on your feet immediately. Carry some thin poly pro thermal underware no matter what season. You can get really cold on a summer evening at 60 degrees when you are very tired. I have poly pro's in my back pack at all times. You need a way to filter water. You need foods that you don't need to cook. At least enough for a few days. You have your rain gear covered and you will have a weather appropriate jacket or coat with you at all times, no exceptions. A silnylon tarp would be a great thing to have for shelter. I keep a wiggies overbag in my checked luggage. Its packed with a REI brand bivy bag so I don't have to have a tarp, but I keep a nylon poncho with me that can be used for one. first aid kit including lots of OTC meds for diarrhea and other sniffles and pain. Lots of bandaids, elastic bandages, and a compression bandage like an Izzy in case of severe injury. I carry a multi fuel stove and a titanium cooking cup as well because my get home kit could have to get me home from the other end of the continent. I like nylon zip off pants for my get home bag because of their light weight and their ability to dry very very quickly while you are walking. I also keep a couple pairs of wool blend socks with me all the time, even in summer. If i think of anything else I will post it later. |
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Personally, I have a folding saw, but picked up a SOG machete with a saw back blade, and prefer it to the folding saw. It is more versatile as you can chop or saw with it.
StagPower Quoted:
Get a folding backpacking saw. You may need to cut down a small tree to get yourself across one of these flooded ditches. Is there any way you can break down a bicycle and keep it in your truck? If you do, pack some spare tire tubes and get some of the compressed air cartridges from a bike shop so you can air up the tires. |
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I agree with ilbob.
200 miles is a long way. I also work distances from home, and that is why I have in my truck my Alice Pack, with at least 10-13 days of food, water filter, tarp, fire starters, sleep pad, paracord, and the list goes on. I also keep my side ARM, extra mags, AR15, and a flight bag with h-harness, elbow and knee pads, combat boots, gas mask and flaq jacket. I also carry HT radios, a med kit, and Ki03 pills. Well, I plan on getting home one way or the other. StagPower |
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Thanks for the replies guys. I think I crated some confusion when I said 40-200 miles out. Most days I'm 40 to 60 miles from home (today I was only 30). I would say less than 1% of my work days are outside of 150 miles with an extreme long of 200. Most days are less than an hour and a half drive. Also my boots are in a trash bag in my truck box (NOT in the pack) as they are one of the thinks to come out and be used before separating from the vehicle.
I am looking for a new pack water filter. Any suggestions would be nice. Also looking to pick up a hand held GPS. haven't found what I think would work best yet. I have used space blankets. Buddy and I lived out of our edc bags for three nights/ four days a while back. Taught me a lot. I do hate them as well, but will use them if I have to because they do work. I also have a heaver tarp along with the space blanket and bag. We get very little rain here and almost no cold weather so they are mostly for the wind. Our wind can be cold at night. Most nights to sleep out side, all you would need is a flat spot and a sweat shirt in the winter, t-shirt and bug spray in the summer. I have though about a bike, but I think when everyone is on foot it may make you a target. Interesting Idea though. Also I do have a winch on the truck, as well as a 10k come along and two high lift jacks. Chain, shackles, and tow rope are part of my job so they are always with on the truck. I would hope to be able to clear road trash with what I have, but a building in the road would shut things down if no detour was available. As for the doomed to fail comment, sounds like you have me all figured out. After I could no longer could use my truck to get home and hiked for a few miles, you could find me curled up in a ball dead from lack of drive or motivation to get home to my family. |
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Quoted: I posted on another thread about the Sawyer .2 I got from walmart for ~$40. Comes with the million gallon or whatever filter and a naglene-type bottle. Maybe not the best, but it may come in handy if there is nothing else. Hoping to save up to get the .01 sawyer has that can be hooked into a bucket or whatnot. It's a little more like ~$100+, I think. hope this helps.Thanks for the replies guys. I think I crated some confusion when I said 40-200 miles out. Most days I'm 40 to 60 miles from home (today I was only 30). I would say less than 1% of my work days are outside of 150 miles with an extreme long of 200. Most days are less than an hour and a half drive. Also my boots are in a trash bag in my truck box (NOT in the pack) as they are one of the thinks to come out and be used before separating from the vehicle. I am looking for a new pack water filter. Any suggestions would be nice. Also looking to pick up a hand held GPS. haven't found what I think would work best yet. I have used space blankets. Buddy and I lived out of our edc bags for three nights/ four days a while back. Taught me a lot. I do hate them as well, but will use them if I have to because they do work. I also have a heaver tarp along with the space blanket and bag. We get very little rain here and almost no cold weather so they are mostly for the wind. Our wind can be cold at night. Most nights to sleep out side, all you would need is a flat spot and a sweat shirt in the winter, t-shirt and bug spray in the summer. I have though about a bike, but I think when everyone is on foot it may make you a target. Interesting Idea though. Also I do have a winch on the truck, as well as a 10k come along and two high lift jacks. Chain, shackles, and tow rope are part of my job so they are always with on the truck. I would hope to be able to clear road trash with what I have, but a building in the road would shut things down if no detour was available. As for the doomed to fail comment, sounds like you have me all figured out. After I could no longer could use my truck to get home and hiked for a few miles, you could find me curled up in a ball dead from lack of drive or motivation to get home to my family. |
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if you're not used to at least the occasional long hike trying to do one when SHTF is going to be a greater challenge. if you're fit, not carrying a spare tire or nursing other handicaps it should be doable.
and in regard to "getting home as soon as possible" i've seen, and we've probably all seen scenarios where staying put for a little while longer could mean a much easier time getting home rather than trying to rush home ASAP, and at any cost. don't know your AO, it's terrain or weather conditions... makes it a little hard to comment on some things., but from the temp ranges you post, you may need to pack a slightly larger bag in winter to pack more shelter/insulation/calories. don't know what state you're in, so don't know if CCW is a legal option, or if keeping a firearm in your work vehicle would create problems for you with your employer. if you're walking home post-SHTF, having a CCW would be a nice thing. you mention quakes, so you could be in Kali, or in the New Madrid fault zone. i don't think OR and WA get into the 110s even in the height of summer, and get colder in winter. if you're in Kali, CCW is harder to get, but it varies by county and it's not impossible. if you have trusted friends or relatives close to home, you might consider making plans on what to do if something happens and you can't get home that day. i'd suggest a 12V DC charger for your phone, and perhaps also an AA battery powered one. sure, if something happens the cell sites could go down, but if your phone is dead you'll never know. |
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A two way radio with weather channel on it.
Call home when you get close. So you can know everything is all right. An will not get shot! (Only turn on three or four time a day) Same time at home, saves batterys! When you have everything your going to get come back let us know. What you have listed is a small list for such a long walk! Keep it up! PITA45 
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Quoted:
if you're not used to at least the occasional long hike trying to do one when SHTF is going to be a greater challenge. if you're fit, not carrying a spare tire or nursing other handicaps it should be doable. and in regard to "getting home as soon as possible" i've seen, and we've probably all seen scenarios where staying put for a little while longer could mean a much easier time getting home rather than trying to rush home ASAP, and at any cost. don't know your AO, it's terrain or weather conditions... makes it a little hard to comment on some things., but from the temp ranges you post, you may need to pack a slightly larger bag in winter to pack more shelter/insulation/calories. don't know what state you're in, so don't know if CCW is a legal option, or if keeping a firearm in your work vehicle would create problems for you with your employer. if you're walking home post-SHTF, having a CCW would be a nice thing. you mention quakes, so you could be in Kali, or in the New Madrid fault zone. i don't think OR and WA get into the 110s even in the height of summer, and get colder in winter. if you're in Kali, CCW is harder to get, but it varies by county and it's not impossible. if you have trusted friends or relatives close to home, you might consider making plans on what to do if something happens and you can't get home that day. i'd suggest a 12V DC charger for your phone, and perhaps also an AA battery powered one. sure, if something happens the cell sites could go down, but if your phone is dead you'll never know. Yes I am in Nor Cal. I do have a CCW and carry every day. I'm self employed, so my employer supports me carrying a pistol and a truck carbine. Glock 26 for a CC gun. In my and the surrounding counties, it is simple to get a CCW. I have three mags in the bag if things get stupid. AR in the truck and base coupled (10 round) mags if things go full retard. Thinking about adding to that. I am fairly fit (6' and 180 lbs). We do a Shasta hike every other year. And in construction, I stay acclimated to the weather fine year round. And my work is a ton of exercise. The wife unit does have instructions if I'm not here. We do have alot of family local. I do like your battery backup idea. My brother has one for his iPhone so I'll look at his. Thanks for the ideas.
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